Hacking Tools: How to Use Netcat and Wireshark Tutorial

In this quick and targeted course, you’ll focus on two essential tools for ethical hacking: Netcat, the all-purpose utility for network testing and control, and Wireshark, the industry-standard tool for traffic capture and analysis. These tools are vital for both red and blue team activities, from probing systems to defending networks.

Through step-by-step lessons, you’ll learn how to grab service banners, transfer files, and execute remote commands using Netcat. Then, you’ll explore packet capture and analysis with Wireshark, using real examples to uncover hidden patterns and detect potential threats.

• Use the Netcat tool for TCP connections, port scanning, and remote control
• Perform banner grabbing and scan multiple ports in connect mode
• Transfer files or run a chat server using the nc command and Unix domain sockets
• Analyze captured packets, packet data, and IP addresses with Wireshark
• Explore protocol implementations through a real network interface
• See how network admins and security engineers use these networking tools
• Practice traffic capture and threat detection on a Linux distribution

By the end, you’ll confidently use Netcat and Wireshark on any supported operating system to analyze computer networks, inspect traffic, and support ethical hacking tasks. You'll understand basic syntax, how Netcat listens in listen mode, scan a port range, and even inspect an HTTP request, skills valuable for system administrators and security professionals alike.